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WHAT I LEARNED FROM DOING 10 SKOOL COMMUNITY AUDITS đ¤â¨
(Nâ those Unexpected patterns I didnât see coming)
Over the past week, I offered a handful of Christmas community audits to the epic members in THE BACKROOM. I went in thinking Iâd mostly be supporting other community owners, helping them spot gaps, tweaks, missed opportunities. What I didnât expect was how much it would teach me too.(this bit surprised me more than I thought it would, if Iâm honest)
Seeing different communities from the inside, back to back, gave me an outside perspective I didnât have before. When youâre inside your own space every day, you often stop seeing certain things. You assume things are obvious, and forget what it feels like to arrive like a newbie, slightly awkward-ish, not wanting to get it wrong. (that slightly hover-y feeling⌠weâve all been that person, right?) [did-you see my POSTAPHOBIA post?]
We cannot make assumptions, all the answers are often there for us, through the comments, the data, the analytics etc⌠(and yet we STILL assume⌠iykyk)
Basically none of what Iâm sharing here is right or wrong. This defo ainât judgement. Itâs just PATTERNS I noticed repeating and looping, and a few things that made me have those little LIGHTBULB moments where I stopped and went⌠huh⌠ok then⌠and rethink how I build and lead community too.(also yes, I saw myself in some of these, not exempt here)
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THE BIGGEST SURPRISE GOING INâŚ
I kinda expected to see lots of content problems. Weak posts. Not enough value, conversations etc etc. Messy structure all that jazz.(you know, the usual suspects)
But what I actually saw, over and over again, was this: almost nobody has a content problem. What most people have is a MOVEMENT problemâŚ.
Beautiful spaces. Gorg solid branding. Thoughtful heart-led badass leaders. But many members sitting quietly, watching, unsure what to do next. (lurking, saving posts, thinking âIâll come back laterâ⌠and later never comes pfffttt)
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PEOPLE DONâT ENGAGE BECAUSE THEY DONâT KNOW WHAT TO DO NEXT (often)
This was the most common pattern I saw. Communities looked really effinâ good on the surface, content existed, conversations had happened at some point, but the majority of members were stuck at LEVEL 1. (Level 1⌠Level 1⌠still Level 1⌠weeks later)
(This pattern I saw in nearly every community I visited, which took me down another rabbit hole, I will share later⌠because oooofing)
It was defo not because they didnât care. Not because they were lazy (pffffttt agen). It was mainly because they didnât know where to go NEXT. It was not clear.(uncertainty = pause = no action⌠thatâs just human stuff)
Most communities assume, âIf people want it, theyâll explore.â From my experience, this rarely happens.
They wonât. People donât explore when they feel uncertain. They WAIT to be led, and thatâs our role as a community owner. (Iâve made this assumption myself before, btw)
The missed opportunity wasnât motivation. It was CLEAR guidance through one tiny micro next step at a time.
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START HERE POSTS ARE TOO BIG (AND TOO POLITE)
Almost everyone had a Start Here post. Almost nobody made it IMPOSSIBLE to skip.
Common themes I saw were too much information, too many links, no obvious action step, or a gentle âdrop a comment if this helpedâ, which still requires thinking.(thinking = friction⌠friction = nope)
Many have a list of 10 things to do. We know too many choices = brain overload = step back.
JUST ONE STEP AT A TIME (micro steps beat huge LEAPS)
If someone doesnât take a micro-action in the first 24â48 hours, engagement drops FAST. How does the saying go⌠the longer you leave it, the less likely it gets done⌠something like thatâŚ(either way, the brain agrees)
Thatâs just HUMAN behaviour.
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CLASSROOMS DONâT WORK WITHOUT CONVERSATION
This surprised a few people. Classrooms were often really well built. Trainings were TOTES solid. Resources were there. But hardly anyone was using them⌠(which hurts when you know how much effort went into them)
So why? Because classrooms donât sell themselves. They need BRIDGES. People donât explore content hubs. They follow PERSONAL direction.
When classroom content isnât woven into comments, conversations, and DMs, it becomes INVISIBLE, no matter how effinâ good it is.
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LEVELS ARE BEING IGNORED (AND THEYâRE GOLD)
Levels are so powerful in Skool, but most communities treat them like decoration. I saw 70â90% of members sitting at Level 1 in a lot of spaces, with no celebration of movement and no explanation of WHY levels matter. (no reason = no movement)
Levels should create EASY momentum, normalise progress, and be talked about openly, not hidden in the background.
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ENGAGEMENT ISNâT ABOUT POSTING MORE
Low engagement wasnât because leaders werenât posting enough. It was because posts didnât invite response, questions were too broad, and conversations ended too quickly, with no reason to continue.(every comment is a doorway⌠if you donât open another one, it closes)
Also, from my world, posts are a WE space.
Engagement grows through CONTINUATION, not volume.
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MOST PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO DM (AND THEY SHOULDNâT BE)
This came up again and again. The fear of being salesy. The fear of being annoying.(I used to have this fear too, big time)
The communities with the strongest engagement had leaders who personally checked in. Not pitching. Not pushing. Just HUMAN HUMANING.
DMs arenât sleazy when theyâre supportive. Theyâre one of the FASTEST ways to build safety and connection.
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MOST COMMUNITIES ARE BUILT FROM THE HEAD, NOT THE BODY
This oneâs subtle but really important. A lot of leaders were overthinking structure, waiting for clarity, trying to feel ready. Meanwhile, members were waiting for PERMISSION.
Your behaviour sets the tone. If you invite openness, vulnerability, fun etc⌠you have to MODEL it.If you hesitate, they hesitate. (this is psychology, not strategy)
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THE BIGGEST BOTTLENECK OF ALL IS ASSUMPTION
This might be the biggest one. Assumptions like âtheyâll find itâ, âthey know where to startâ, âtheyâll comment when readyâ, âthey know what this is forâ.
Sorry not sorry⌠often, they DONâT.
Nothing is obvious to a new, slightly nervous human entering a space.CLARITY beats clever. Every. Single. Time.
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WHAT THIS TAUGHT ME TOOâŚ
Doing these audits didnât just highlight patterns across other communities. It made me reflect on my OWN. Where I over-assume. Where I skip steps. Where I forget what it feels like to be new.(humbling AF, actually)
Most people donât need more content. They need more GUIDANCE.
â Iâm totes curiousâŚ
What do you think it would feel like to arrive fresh and new in your space⌠and what would YOU need if we removed the assumptions?
Humans donât explore when they feel uncertain. They WAIT.
BUT IN HERE WE GO - LFG! đ
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PS - If reading this stirred something⌠like a âoh sht, yeah⌠thatâs me Mimiâ moment, then this is exactly why the Backroom Community exists.
Itâs the safe space where we talk about the stuff we donât usually say out loud. The numbers we donât brag about. The doubts we tidy up everywhere else. The half-hmm-formed thoughts that donât belong on a polished post.
And if youâre reading this thinking⌠âok Mimi, how the eff do I get eyes like this on my own community?âIf you want one of these badass Community Audits â no fluff (well, unless it's a dog, that's more than welcome duh), no ego stroking, just real patterns, blind spots and needle-moving stuff â then holla. No pitch. No pressure...
Just letâs chit-chat and see if it makes sense.
Wooping together. Winning together. Obvs. IYKYK
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WHAT I LEARNED FROM DOING 10 SKOOL COMMUNITY AUDITS đ¤â¨
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